Music Theory & Musicianship Courses & Classes in London & Online
We teach a full range of Music Theory classes for Western staff notation, and Musicianship classes to enhance your practical music skills from composition to sight-singing.
Each course is a live, interactive class with presentations, discussions and study exercises lead by your teacher. Most courses run online (via Zoom) and will have an accompanying online ‘Google classroom’ with handouts and sound files to enhance your learning between sessions. To read more visit our blog: Musicianship & Music Theory courses at City Lit
Our staff are all professional musicians - performers, composers and music historians - many with a postgraduate music qualification. Please see individual course outlines for tutor biographies.
Many of our music theory students have used our courses as preparation for ABRSM music theory exams (external to city lit) and achieved excellent results. Students also learn out of curiosity and exams are not compulsory! The vast majority of our students are learning to support their instrumental or singing studies as they have decided they would like to read staff music notation with more confidence.
We have classes for complete beginners as well as advanced students so please email us at music@citylit.ac.uk if you would like help choosing the correct level course for your current need
- Musicianship for singers
Course start date: Fri 18 Oct 2024Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ruth BeckmannImprove your understanding of theory and musicianship in relation to the singing. This course is for any singer who would like more understanding of the music they sing. Break week 1st November 2024.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £104.00 - Writing song lyrics: create and combine with melody Course start date: Tue 5 Nov 2024
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Polly HewettLearn to create or improve catchy original lyrics and combine them with an existing or a new melody.Instrumentalists and vocalists are welcome to this collaborative course, as are lyricists who have completed Song lyric writing for popular music. Live (and lively) sessions online.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £104.00 - Music theory: grade 5 Course start date: Mon 13 Jan 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Selena KayLearn about irregular metre, tenor clef, major and minor keys to six flats/sharps, primary triads, cadences, and standard expression signs. Essential for anyone taking higher grade practical exams. *Scheduled break week: 17 Feb 2025.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information. - Composition techniques Course start date: Tue 14 Jan 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Edward HendersonLearn techniques for composing your own music for instruments and/or voices. Suitable for students with knowledge of music theory Grade 6+.
*Break week: 18 Feb 2025.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £174.00 - Musicianship 2: rhythm, scales and harmonyCourse start date: Tue 14 Jan 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Cerys HoggIf you understand time signatures and major scales in C, F, G and D, join this course to learn about minor scales and the bass clef, and to develop your rhythm writing and playing. Suitable for players of any instrument and singers.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £139.00 - Music theory: grade 3 Course start date: Wed 15 Jan 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarha MooreDevelop your understanding of musical language by learning to read and write rhythm and melody in compound time, phrase structure and anacrusis (upbeat/pickup), transposing between clefs, major and minor keys up to four
sharps/flats. NB: break week 19th Feb 2024. - Aural training (solfa) 1B Course start date: Thu 16 Jan 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Selena KayThis practical course is based on the famous Kodály method and focuses on sight-singing and aural perception to develop your general musicianship. You need knowledge of music theory to at least Grade 3 level to take this course. Break week: 20 Feb 2025.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £139.00 - Musicianship 1: listening and reading, pitch and rhythm Course start date: Thu 16 Jan 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David HarrisonLearn to name and recognise what you hear, to organise music notation, write it and read it. These practical and academic sessions are suitable for absolute beginners, which may include students who play by ear and do not read yet. - Aural training (solfa) 3B Course start date: Thu 16 Jan 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Selena KayFurther develop your aural awareness with solfa in this practical course based on the famous Kodály method. Suitable for those with fluent music reading skills and previous knowledge and experience of the Kodály method. Break week: 20 Feb 2025.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £174.00 - Music theory: grades 1 and 2 Course start date: Fri 17 Jan 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Edward BreenLearn the basic principles of musical language and notation: rhythmic values, time signatures, pitch on treble and bass clefs, simple major scales, intervals and key signatures, and the most common musical terms and signs. break week: 21 Feb 2025. - Music theory: introduction to score reading Course start date: Mon 28 Apr 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Selena KayLearn to navigate music scores and analyse basic structures. Learn to identify stylistic characteristics of music from different periods of music history, suitable for developing your understanding of music in its historical context, and to support the style identification elements of grade 5+ ABRSM exams. NB: this course has a scheduled breaks on 5th & 26th May 2025.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £160.00 - Music theory: grade 4 Course start date: Wed 30 Apr 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarha MooreStudy more complex musical language including duplets, double-dotted rhythms, alto clef, double sharps/flats, the concept of enharmonic equivalence, and recognising and writing common triads. Learn the technical names for scale degrees, and standard ornaments and instruments. NB: scheduled break week: 28th May 2024. - Aural training (solfa) 1C Course start date: Thu 1 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Selena KayThis practical course is based on the famous Kodály method and focuses on sight-singing and aural perception to develop your general musicianship. You need knowledge of music theory to at least Grade 3 level to take this course. Break week 29 May 2025.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £139.00 - Aural training (solfa) 3C Course start date: Thu 1 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Selena KayFurther develop your aural awareness with solfa in this practical course based on the famous Kodály method. Suitable for those with fluent music reading skills and previous knowledge and experience of the Kodály method. Break week 29 May 2025.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £174.00
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